Vanessa Laine Bryant is widely known as the wife of basketball
professional player Kobe Bryant, whom she married on April 18, 2001.
Vanessa and Kobe met in November 1999, when she was 17 and he was 21,
and were engaged within six months. The marriage estranged Kobe and his
family, but they eventually reconciled after the birth of The Bryants'
first child, Natalia Diamante Bryant, in January 2003. Vanessa and Kobe
had their second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, in May
2006.

Vanessa was very supportive to her husband when he was charged with
sexual assault in 2003. The case was dropped by prosecutors in
September 2004 after the accuser Katelyn Faber refused to testify in
the trial. “I know that my husband has made a mistake -- the
mistake of adultery. He and I will have to deal with that within our
marriage, and we will do so,” Vanessa stated. She once also
commented, “I know Kobe better than anyone. The great person you
see on the court and in the public is a far greater person off the
court.”

Vanessa filed for divorce on December 16, 2011.

Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta

Childhood and Family:

Vanessa Laine Bryant was born Vanessa Cornejo Urbiet on May 5, 1982, in
Los Angeles, California. She is of Irish and Mexican descent. Her
mother Sofia was married to Stephen Laine, but they later divorced in
2002. In 2000, Vanessa took her stepdad's family name, Laine, although
he never adopted her. Vanessa, whose nickname is Ness, attended Marina
High School in Huntington Beach, California.

On April 18, 2001, Vanessa married Kobe Bryant (born August 23, 1978)
in a private ceremony in front of about a dozen people at St. Edward
Roman Catholic Church in Dana Point, Calif. She changed her name from
Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta Laine to Vanessa Marie Bryant soon after the
marriage. On January 19, 2003, she gave birth to the couple's first
child, daughter Natalia Diamante Bryant. After suffering a
miscarriage because of an ectopic pregnancy in the spring of 2005, she
welcomed a second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, on May 1, 2006.

On December 16, 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce citing irreconcilable
differences. Both parties resolved all the issues related to their
divorce prior to the filing. Both Vanessa and Kobe asked joint custody
of their daughters.

Backup Dancer

Career:

Vanessa Laine Bryant worked as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz
music video “G'd Up” when she was still a senior at high
school. It was during that period that she met Kobe Bryant,
who was in the building working on his never released debut
album.

Vanessa attended the televised award show, “The Teen Choice
Awards 2003,” along with her husband. The couple again appeared
together in “2004 MTV Movie Awards,” the following year.